MALDIVES: A NEED TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000135

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: A NEED TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY TO
COUNTER-BALANCE POTENTIAL RISING ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM

REF: A. 2006 COLOMBO 1910

B. 2005 COLOMBO 837

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT O. BLAKE, JR. FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and (
d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met government officials and
the leader of the opposition in Male' on January 16 to
discuss the lagging democratic reform process. Ambassador
also promoted the Maldives' purchase of Boeing aircraft and a
potential joint venture with an American wind power firm.
Interlocutors across the political spectrum expressed concern
about rising Islamic fundamentalism, noting that a
significant delay in the democratization process in this
moderate, pro-Western, Islamic country could push some of its
citizens toward Islamic extremism. Embassy is developing a
strategy with recommendations on ways the USG can assist
Maldives in its transition from autocracy to democracy,
assuming that little or no new resources are available. End
summary.

PACE OF REFORM DRAGS
--------------


2. (SBU) During a January 16 visit to Male', the Ambassador
met separately with Minister of Energy, Environment, and
Water Ahmed Abdullah, Defense Minister Ismail Shafeeu,
Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed, members of the Maldives
Human Rights Commission, and Abdul Haris, a representative of
the national air carrier Island Aviation Services. The
Ambassador also met with Attorney General Hassan Saeed and
Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed, and later with the opposition
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader, also named Mohamed
Nasheed, and acting MDP president Ibrahim Hussein Zaki. The
Ambassador discussed the ongoing democratic reform process,
heard concerns about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and
promoted U.S. economic interests. Poloff discussed similar
issues with a range of political and civil society figures in
Male' January 14-16.


3. (C) Attorney General Saeed and Foreign Minister Shaheed
told Ambassador that factions within the ruling Dhivehi
Rayyethunge Party (DRP, or Maldivian People's Party) were
blocking the passage of reform legislation in parliament.
They also mentioned two hard-liners, the Chief Justice and
Commissioner of Police, as insisting on upholding old,
draconian legislation in an effort to hinder the reform
process. In Ambassador's meeting with the opposition MDP,
party leader Nasheed expressed hope that British High
Commissioner Dominic Chilcott would continue to mediate
meetings between the government and opposition in Male' to
facilitate parliamentary cooperation between reformists on
both sides.

PRESS FREEDOM CONCERNS CONTINUE
--------------


4. (C) The Information Minister had a more positive
assessment of the status of reforms, noting that the press
has opened up considerably, permitting people to publicly air
a range of views, even those opposed to the government. He
said he would issue a ministerial decree to recognize private
radio stations, which he had been unable to present in early
November as planned because it was "the eve of a revolution."
(Note: Nasheed was referring to a planned November 10
opposition rally that never materialized, ref a.) He added
that contract law would govern radio operators' conduct, and
the contracts would incorporate aspects of press bills
currently under debate in parliament. Poloff noted that the
international press freedom NGO Article 19 had published
several suggestions to improve the bills. Nasheed responded
that he had committed to sharing that information with
legislators when the bills reached the parliamentary
committee.


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5. (SBU) Nasheed's optimism notwithstanding, journalists
continued to face difficulties. On January 17, immigration
officials informed Philip Wellman, an American reporter
working for the independent website Minivan News, that he had
to leave Maldives within 48 hours. (Wellman had previously
been expelled prior to the planned November 10 opposition
rally, ref a). A British journalist for the same website,
told us that when he inquired about Wellman's case,
Immigration Controller Ibrahim Shafiu said "I do not care
whether we are attacking the press and journalism. He is a
foreigner and he is not welcome here." Shafiu then warned
the British national that he too would be expelled if he
"caused trouble."

WORRIES ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM
MAY BE ON THE RISE
--------------


6. (C) Maldivians from across the political spectrum said
they were worried about rising Islamic fundamentalism. Some
noted that rifts within the opposition might lead people to
reject multi-party politics, and religious extremism could
potentially flourish in a resultant power vacuum.
Separately, opposition parliamentarian Mariya Didi and
independent radio show host Fathimath Shaheeda told poloff
that on the island of Himandhoo, all the women are expected
to wear the burqa - which has never been the norm in
Maldives. Didi said one woman and her daughter left the
island to avoid local pressure to wear the full veil.
Attorney General Hassan Saeed told the Ambassador that he
feared a murder in Himandhoo had been religiously motivated.
Saeed said locals attacked and badly injured a visiting
non-Muslim Indian teacher, and a witness to the incident died
under mysterious circumstances. He blamed the Chief Justice,
who as chair of the Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs
(SCIA),failed to send moderate preachers to the island or
address complaints of rising Islamic orthodoxy. Saeed said
he had sent the Chief Justice a letter calling for his
resignation, with a copy to President Gayoom.


7. (C) In a separate meeting with the Ambassador, the head of
the Maldives Human Rights Commission concurred with Saeed,
noting that under the Chief Justice, the SCIA had failed to
set standards or provide adequate religious instruction,
leading people to seek information elsewhere and to turn to
fundamentalist Wahabis trained at madrassas in Saudi Arabia
or Pakistan. Independently, Defense Minister Ismail Shafeeu
also expressed worry about increasing Wahab'ism, assessing it
as a major threat to Maldives. Information Minister Mohamed
Nasheed told the Ambassador that small, fundamentalist
communities on remote islands sent him complaints that music
and dance programs on state television were "un-Islamic."
Some people refused to pray at government mosques funded by
money gained from alcohol sales at resorts. Nasheed added
that some even rejected the Islamic orthodox Adalath party,
since as a registered political party, it received government
money earned through resort rents. Indian High Commissioner
Avanindra Pandey told Ambassador that Maldivians follow the
Salafi sect of Sunni Islam and have historically been
moderate in their views. He said he'd heard reports of
pockets of fundamentalism in poor communities, though he was
unsure how widespread the problem of radicalism was.

PROMOTING U.S. ECONOMIC INTERESTS
--------------


8. (U) The Ambassador met with Abdul Haris, a representative
of the national air carrier Island Aviation Services (IAS)
who is considering purchasing new aircraft. Haris said that
IAS, currently the domestic airline and ground handling and
cargo agent for Male' airport, is planning to begin flying
international routes to Trivandrum, Colombo, and Dhaka. The
Ambassador urged Haris to buy Boeing planes, noting Boeing is
opening a large service center in India that IAS can utilize.
Haris replied that his choice was down to Boeing and Airbus,

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and he would seriously weigh the merits of both, with cost
likely the deciding factor. He also mentioned the need for
training in aviation-related fields, and the Ambassador
encouraged Haris to contact the Federal Aviation Agency to
learn more about its capacity-building programs.


9. (SBU) The Ambassador also met with Ahmed Abdullah, the
Minister of Energy, Environment, and Water, who was gravely
concerned about the effects of climate change on Maldives.
The Ambassador noted that Maldives had the opportunity to set
an example in the field of clean, renewable energy, adding
that he had seen solar panels in some areas already. The
Ambassador asked Abdullah to consider a joint venture with
SouthWest Windpower, an American firm willing to do an
assessment of Maldives. Abdullah agreed that it would be
beneficial and said he would follow up on the project. He
also said his ministry had a strong need for trained staff
and sought educational opportunities for Maldivians in the
U.S., which the Ambassador promised to promote.

COMMENT
--------------


10. (C) The Attorney General and Foreign Minister seemed
deeply concerned about the stagnant state of the reform
process, though they seemed to view the President as a
champion of their cause. While it was encouraging that the
opposition leader sought British assistance to re-engage with
reformists in government, democratization in Maldives is not
proceeding as fast as it should. It is worrying to hear from
across the political spectrum that Wahab'ism may be taking
root in a society that until now has been broadly moderate
and tolerant. It is vital that Maldivians have a strong,
viable alternative to religious extremism. Embassy is in the
process of drafting a strategy to help boost the reform
process and counter some of the negative influences such as
growing Islamic extremism and drug abuse, that would disrupt
economic and social progress, further set back
democratization, and threaten the pro-Western tilt of the
government. President Gayoom, after a twenty-eight year
reign, will be key to driving the pace of reform as long as
he maintains the political will to do so. Since the
reformist ministers mentioned some hard-liners have the
President's ear and are impeding reforms, the Embassy and
Washington should communicate directly with Gayoom and
reiterate our support for the progressive ministers' agenda.
BLAKE